Violin bass-bar



' M. MASTERSON.

VIOLIN BASS BAR.

APPLICATION HLED JUNE 39,1919.

1,333,088. Pafnnted Mar. 9, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. APPLlCATlON FILED JUNE 30,1919.

M. MASTERSONJ VIOLIN BASS BAR.

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIIIIIIII/Il IIIIIII .jr fen/tor. wed/2Z6 Mid $617023 son, a citizen of the United States, and a.

UNITEDSTATES regular onnron mnc grnrivresrnnson, on qirrcaeo, ILLINOIS.

vromiv BASS-BAR.

To all 107mm it may concern; 1

Be it known that LMnonnnr MAs'rnR- resident ofthe'city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois,fhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Violin Bass-Bars, of which the following is a specification. i

My invention relates to improvements in bass bars for violins and has for its object the provision of a bass bar which is adapted to improve the tone of the instrument with which used.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of thls specification, and 111' which,

Figure 1, is a top plan view of a violin embodying my invention.

Fig. 2, is a top plan view of my inven- Fig. 3, is a side elevational view of the invention applied to a violin.

Fig. 4, is a transverse sectional view of the invention taken on substantially line 4-4: of Fig. 3.

The invention is designed primarily to be used on a violin or a musical instrument of this'class. The invention is adapted to be secured to the under surface of the front plate or belly of the violin body. The device consists of an elongated bass bar 8, this bass bar being of the usual type of bass bars used with string instruments of this class. Projecting-laterally from the member 8 intermediate the ends thereof, and preferably made integral therewith. is a comparatively thin member 9. As shown in Fig. 4, the upper face of the member 9 lies in a plane which is beneath the plane in which the upper face of the member 8 lies. Projecting from the free end of the member 9 and extending parallel to the member 8 is a sound-post-engaging member, 10. The upper face of the member 10 is positioned above the upper face of the memher 9 so as to lie in the same horizontal plane with the upper face of the member 8. In

applying the device to a violin or a similar v Specification of Letters Patent. Patented iMgugQ, 1920,

Application filed .Tune 30, 1919; Seria1No. 307,6 90. I

glued or otherwise fastened a's'at 6 and 6;

Projecting downwardly from the member 9 cept at the under side wherein is provided an opening 13. "Mounted upon the under slde of the box-like member 12 adjacent the opening-13 is a flaring member 14%.

The entire device is designed to be constructed of wood or some other fibrous material and the walls of the boX 12 are de signed to be made of very thin material to afford a device which will be adapted to vibrate easily. The box 12 acts as a resonator in the musical instrument, when same is played, and serves the purpose of augmenting the tone of the musical instrument and producing a finer and fuller tone than is now customarily produced in such instances.

Another purpose which my invention accomplishes is to afford a uniformly level object upon which the upper end of the soundpost 7 may engage. The member 10 is adapted to engage the upper end of the sound-post 7. Owing to the bow shape of the front plate orbelly of the violin, the upper end of the sound-post 7 ordinarily engages the under surface of the frontplate or belly of the violin at only one point. To regulate the tone of the violin, it is necessary that the position of the post 7 relatively to the ends of the violin be changed. By engaging the upper end of the .sound post 7 with the uniformly horizontal undersurface of the member 10a more secure and efficient contact is thereby formed.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carry- 'Patent is:

1. The combination with a bass bar having a laterally projecting member, of a resonator depending from said projecting member, substantially as described.

2. The combinationwith a bass bar, hav-' ing 7 a laterally projecting member, of a resonator depending from said projecting member and spaced therefrom, substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described comprising a bass bar; a laterally projecting member secured to said bass bar; resonating means depending from said member and spaced therefrom, substantially as described.

4. A device of the class described comprising a bass bar; a laterally projecting meming a bass bar; a laterally projecting mem 6. A device of the class described comprising a bass bar; a laterally projecting member secured to said bass bar adjacent one edge thereof; a post projecting'down- Wardly from said member; and resonating means secured to the lower end of said post, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MECKLEY MASTER-SON. *Witnesses:

JOSHUA RFH. Por'rs, Trros. S. DONNELLY. 

